The health problems associated with tobacco smoking are well known. Cigarette smoke contains nicotine as well as many other chemical compounds and additives. Tobacco smoke exposes an individual to carbon monoxide as well as these other compounds, many of which are carcinogenic and toxic to the smoker and those around the smoker. The presence and level of carbon monoxide in the exhaled breath of the smoker can provide a marker for identifying the overall smoking behavior of that individual as well as provide a marker for their overall exposure to the other toxic compounds.
Because of the health risks and problems associated with smoking, in addition to the effects of smoke on exposed non-smokers, many programs exist to assist an individual in cessation of smoking or at least reduce the amount of smoking on a daily basis.
Smoking cessation programs and products typically attempt to reduce the patient's smoking without fully understanding the smoking behavior that can vary between patients. In addition, it may be difficult to understand a patient's smoking behavior given that self-reporting of smoking behavior relies on strict compliance with reporting smoking activities. And in many cases, individuals may not strictly comply with reporting such activities due to shame, carelessness, and/or human error associated with tracking and assessing cigarette smoking.
There remains a need to address smoking in individuals by first understanding the individual's smoking behavior and then, based on this understanding, engage the individual with effective means for reducing and ultimately stopping smoking.